Aiden Carter AKA Adam Cartwright
by CocoRocks
Summary: Bonanza/Once Upon a Time oneshot Aiden Carter has been a High School English teacher in Storybrooke for as long as he can remember. Shortly after Emma Swan breaks the curse he remembers who he really is, Adam Cartwright from 1860's Virginia City who was on a trip to San Francisco. Emma, The Charmings, Henry, Leroy, and a disgruntled Regina try to figure out how to get him back home


**Bonanza/Once Upon a Time oneshot**

**Aiden Carter has been a High School English teacher in Storybrooke for as long as he can remember. Shortly after Emma Swan breaks the curse he remembers who he really is, Adam Cartwright from 1860's Virginia City who was on a trip to San Francisco. Emma, The Charmings, Henry, Leroy, and a disgruntled Regina try to figure out how to get him back home. **

_Storybrooke, Maine 2011 after Emma breaks the curse_

For nearly twenty-eight years he had been Aiden Carter, a thirty-five year old bachelor who taught High School English Literature on the weekdays and participated in the Storybrooke Community Theatre on the weekends. Not bad life despite the fact that everyday was the same pretty much the same and nobody really aged except for the mayor's son Henry who was currently ten. Not that it mattered to him as he was a High School teacher.

However, a couple of months ago is when life started getting strange. One day Henry Mills the son of the mayor ran away from town. When he came back he brought along his biological mother Emma Swan. When that happened things started to change. For example the hands on the clock tower started to move which was strange because as far as he could remember he had never seen the clock hands move before. He just brushed it off and assumed the town got around to fixing it.

Then there were a few occasions where he would be in Granny's Diner before school having breakfast. Henry and his biological mother Emma Swan would be in there and Henry would be ranting about how this whole town was cursed. Saying that Emma was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming who currently cursed as Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan. That his adopted mother was the Evil Queen who sent all of them here because she wanted to destroy the happy endings and that Emma was the savior who was abandoned at birth. He had to admit that the kid had an active imagination and would probably be a pleasure to have in class in a couple of years.

However, there was a strange event that happened one day after school. He was running errands around town before theatre practice when he decided to go to Mr. Gold's Pawn and Antique shop. He wasn't sure why he was drawn to there as he had heard that Mr. Gold was very shady when it came to purchases but he went on ahead and entered the shop. He went over to the glass case and a music box caught his eye.

"See something that catches your eye dearie?" The well dressed pawnbroker asked.

He shrugged. "Just came in to browse. This music box is lovely."

"Ah yes a very lovely memento to have. Might trigger some good memories. I'm looking to sell it for a hundred dollars but I'm feeling generous today and I'll sell it to your for twenty-five dollars." Mr. Gold told him.

He thought about it for a moment. Did he really need a music box? It would look nice on a table in his house and it was a great deal for the price. He told Mr. Gold he would take it and gave him the money and went on his way home. He could have sworn that when he was walking out of the shop Mr. Gold referred to him as Mr. Cartwright but he must have misheard him.

He soon arrived home and placed the purchased music box on the table. He had some time to relax before he had to leave again. He opened the box and it played a soft tune. Suddenly he had a image in his mind of a man with white hair who was referring to him as Adam and there was image of two other men wrestling with him in the mud and from the looks of it they were wearing 1800's clothing. He quickly shut the music box and shook his head. It was obvious that he had a long day and his mind was all over the place.

The following weeks proved to be a little bit hectic. Everyone was acting strange. He assumed it was because the school year would be ending soon. But what was even more strange is that a kept having those images from the day he opened the music box. It had become more frequent each day it had gotten stronger one day when he went to volunteer at the Animal shelter and he was working with a chestnut horse. He had just recently learned how to rise but lately the images in his head were showing him as experienced rider.

Then that one fateful day everything changed. It was Saturday and he was volunteering his time with the chestnut horse. He felt a passing of air run right through him and then everything came back to him. He wasn't Aiden Carter the English teacher he was Adam Cartwright the rancher. Then it came back to him the last thing he remembered was being in San Francisco negotiating a lumber contract for his father Ben Cartwright and he was preparing for bed when there was a storm brewing outside. How on earth did he end up here? And the horse he was riding was his faithful friend Sport.

When he went back to main street he found everything in chaos. Sure enough everyone had found their true memories and the Mayor Regina Mills was indeed the Evil Queen and the culprit involved. How on earth was he going to find his way back to his true home? He then decided he would invest this to the mayor herself.

He galloped Sport all the way to her house where he dismounted and rushed up to the porch. He didn't bother to knock he just barged right into the house and straight to the living room. He was greeted by the sight of Mayor Regina, Emma Swan, Henry Mills, David Nolan, and Mary Margaret Blanchard sitting around talking in low voices. Regina Mills looked at him in disgust.

"Let me guess your one of the recently uncursed victims wishing to go back to the Enchanted Forest." The newfound Queen asked.

"Let me get my facts straight. My name is Adam Cartwright and I am from Virginia City, Nevada. I don't know how I was brought here but I suggest you figure out a plan to send me back where I came from." Adam was fuming.

Regina panicked and with a wave of her hand Adam Cartwright dropped to the ground in a deep sleep. Both Mary Margaret the newly found Snow White and her daughter Emma rushed up to him.

"Regina why'd you do that. He's only looking for his way home. He's most likely dead now!" Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"He is not. I just put him to sleep. I need to figure this out. This curse was suppose to only have brought people from our land but it ended up bringing him from the state of Nevada. What do we know about this Adam Cartwright?" Regina asked.

"I feel like I've heard that name before but I don't know where. Leroy is coming over in a bit he should know." David Nolan said as he closed his phone.

A short time later Leroy aka Grumpy came rushing into the house with a box. "Hey Madame mayor there's a horse outside your house eating your plants."

Regina groaned. "That is the least of my worries right now. Is there something in that box that can help us."

"Yes there is. Hey Charming you know how every Friday you would come over and we'd spend the whole time watching TV. Well guess what, here is my collection of all fourteen seasons of Bonanza on DVD." Leroy explained lifting out one of the dvds.

"How is a television western going to help us?" Regina rolled her eyes.

"Regina. Adam Cartwright is one of the sons on that show and he comes from the 1800's. Perhaps this curse managed to enter his realm and place him here." David explained.

"How does that help us. Bonanza was a series that ran from the late fifties to the early seventies. I was born in eighty-three. There isn't much to go on here." Emma told him.

"But from what I heard there are other adaptations of stories. You know how there is a British Snow White and an Italian Snow White. Maybe there is another version of his story." Mary Margaret explained.

"Yes but where are we going to find it?' Regina asked.

"Mom I found something." Henry Mills came running down the stairs with his Once Upon A Time book in his hand.

"What is it Kid." Emma asked.

"The answer to our troubles. There's a story in here called Adam Cartwright and the Trip to San Francisco. It's only half written and the rest of the pages after it are blank. This has to be his story." Henry explained.

Both Emma and Regina looked at the book. "Well you are right. But how are we going to send him back?"

"Were not going to ask Gold because his magic comes with a price. Emma you have good magic maybe you could open a portal." Leroy explained.

"Okay we'll do it. Regina wake him up so he can go. Also bring his horse inside that way we don't attract a mob with our portal." Emma explained.

"Very well." Regina then knelt down in front of the sleeping cowboy and waved her hand. Adam's eyes slowly opened. David carefully led Sport into the living room. Emma conjured up a portal.

"Alright Mr. Cartwright we figured out a way to get you home. Emma here managed open a portal for you. Once you go through it you should be able to make it back where you are from." Regina helped him up off the floor.

Adam quickly mounted Sport. "Thank you all. I may never see you all again but thank you for your help." He tipped his hat towards Emma. He motioned Sport to go through the portal and then they were gone. The portal then disappeared.

"I hope he made it." Mary Margaret said as she held onto David's arm.

"He did. Look everyone the rest of his story appeared. There's a picture of him with his father." Henry explained. They all gathered around to see the last page which was picture of Adam shaking hands with his father.

"Anyone wanna watch Trapper John? I bought those DVD's too." Leroy asked.

_1865 Virginia City_

Adam opened his eyes and he saw that he was sitting on top of Sport in front of the Ponderosa Ranch House.

Ben Cartwright, Hoss, and Little Joe all ran out of the front door to greet him.

"Adam my boy your back. I was happy to see your telegram about the contract." Ben Cartwright told him.

Adam dismounted Sport. He was surprised that his father was so happy knowing how long he had been gone. "I know I'm late coming back but so much has happened that I need to tell you. You won't believe some of the things I've seen and the places I've been"

"Late your not late. You were expected to be gone for twenty-eight days and your back on the twenty-eighth day. I'd say your right on time. By the looks of it you need a nap before supper. Come on boy." Ben practically dragged his son into the house.

Both Hoss and Little Joe stayed outside and laughed at the scene in front of them.

"Boy little Joe that big brother of ours sure is acting plum crazy." Hoss commented.

Little Joe laughed. "Yeah from the way he's acting, he makes it sound like he's been gone for twenty-eight years rather than twenty-eight days.


End file.
